Walk Away
by PerryGirl110
Summary: Austin seems as if he has changed. He's mean and uncaring and Ally just can't take it anymore. She breaks up with Austin and both go their separate ways. What happens when Austin realizes the mistake he made? Can he win her back? Rated T for cursing. Based on the amazing song, "When I was your man."


**Hey everybody! I've recently become obsessed with the song "When I Was Your Man" by Bruno Mars, so I decided to write a fanfic with it. Its kinda sad since this is a sad song. By the way, Austin is a little out of character in the beginning but please stick with me. Enjoy! :)**

Her heels clicked against the pavement.

Her hair cascaded down her soldiers and gently swung down her back.

Her hips swayed slightly from side to side with every step.

Her lips pressed together in a smile as she hummed silently to herself.

Ally Dawson was skipping cheerily to the one and only Sonic Boom. Between her lips came the soft tune of "I think about you." Every time she sung that song she was reminded of Austin. Boy did she love that guy….

The way she was walking was so happy and cheerful, it almost seemed as if she were dancing. So much movement and joy hidden behind each step.

She hoped Austin was in the store already. She had given him the key a long time ago so that he could come in anytime he wanted, so he was usually there whenever he was working on a new song. Today she needed to talk to him. Tomorrow was a very important day. They had things to discuss.

The smile broadened on her already joyous face when Sonic Boom came into view. Austin's dark green bike was leaning against the outer wall. Ally's pearly teeth appeared from darkness and her slow, happy skipping sped into a run. The gentle beat of her heels became a stampede as her shoes smashed into the pavement, over and over and over again.

Finally she reached the door. The smile was still on her face as she grabbed her side and took a few raspy breaths. She was tired from running, but her overall excitement for the day to come was far more powerful. Still breathing heavily, she pulled open the doors of Sonic Boom and stepped in.

The first thing she saw was him. His blond hair was messy and he was slumped down in his seat on the piano bench as if he were exhausted, but she was far too excited to notice. What she did notice, however, was the fact that his back was turned to her. He hadn't seen her walking in. A mischievous grin spread across her lips as a little devious plan formed in her brain.

Ally slowly crept behind her boyfriend, one slow step at a time. Once she was behind him she leapt forward. In an attempt to both scare and surprise him, she wrapped his arms around his waist, laid her head in the curve of this shoulder, and began to tickle.

In response to this surprise attack, the victim let out a girly, high-pitched scream. He squirmed and writhed in his seat. After having his little "seizure" for about three minutes, Ally decided she had done enough. She stopped her tickling and placed a kiss on his cheek.

Ally was acting as if what just happened was the funniest thing ever. She was laughing with such power one might be afraid she'd cough out a lung. She had crinkles below her eyes and a smile on her face that was bigger than the moon. Austin, however, was not as amused.

"ALLY!" he yelled angrily at her, "What did you do that for!?"

She giggled. "I couldn't help myself," she implied with a laugh, "You didn't see me come in. It was too hard to resist."

Austin groaned. "Don't do that again, Ally," he said to her angrily, "I'm trying to write a new song, I need to concentrate."

At this statement, Ally took a close look at Austin's face. She took note of the huge, purple bags under his eyes, the grimace on his features, the "five o'clock shadow" attempting to develop on his face (it wasn't doing a very good job considering the fact that he was still a teen). This gruff and tired appearance worried Ally, and so she spoke up.

"Austin," she started tentatively, "Have you been working on this song all night? You look exhausted. Maybe it's time for a break."

Austin rolled his eyes. "I haven't written a song in a while," he replied, annoyance in his voice, "I need to finish this as soon as possible. I don't want to lose any fans."

Ally laughed. She grabbed Austin's face and turned it towards her own. "If those fans were REALLY fans, they would care more about your health than whether or not you write a new song every month." Still smiling, she placed a kiss on the tip of his nose.

Austin pulled his face away from hers, turning right back to the piano. He ignored what she had said and went right back to working on his song. Ally rolled her eyes with a smile. She knew a lost cause when she saw one. They had more important things to talk about anyway….

Ally went around Austin and plopped down on the bench right next to him. "Soooo…." She said with a smile, leaning her body into his, "Tomorrow is a VERY important day, isn't it?"

Austin grunted in annoyance. "I don't know," he said harshly, "Is it?"

Ally was not fazed by his lack of interest. She kept pushing. "Mmmhmmmm…" she said flirtily, "It is. And, hint-hint, I really want to learn how to dance during that special day. Coincidently, there's this dance at our school tomorrow. Its called senior prom. I think that it might be a good time for you to teach me…." Quickly, she grabbed his hand away from the keys and held them in her own, interlocking their fingers.

Austin groaned. _Why did she have to be so annoying? Why couldn't she see that he was busy and just leave him alone?_

"Look Ally," he said gruffly as he pulled his hands out of her grip, "I'm busy. I don't have time to take you out to dances and other stupid things like that. Just get over it."

Where all other attempts of cruelty at failed, this had succeeded. "Oh," she said, hurt clearly evident in her voice and through her wide, sad eyes, "Ok. I get it. You're busy…."

She walked away, trying not to let a tear of disappointment slip down her cheek. Austin knew he had hurt her, but he simply didn't care. He was relieved she had finally gotten it. He had thought he'd have to spell it out for her. He was busy, and he wanted her to leave him alone. How hard is that to understand?

As Austin turned back to the piano, Ally slowly ascended the stairs. She couldn't believe him. How could he forget their two-year anniversary? They had been together for two years. TWO YEARS! This was a big deal! How could he forget it? Plus, it had even fallen on the day of Senior Prom. How lucky was that? Not only for her, who got to spend the whole day dancing like a princess, but for Austin as well who got to lump the two days together. It was a win-win. How could he possibly forget?

And then it hit her. Of COURSE HE HADN'T FORGOTTEN! He'd never forgotten an anniversary before! This was a trick! It had to be! He was only pretending that he didn't remember, that he didn't care, because he wanted to get her hopes down. Then, on the day of the big event, he would come out all dressed up and surprise her with roses and a kiss. Then he would take her to prom in a carriage ride and dance with her and treat her like a princess all night long. Of course he would! That's who Austin was. A nice guy who did all these super sweet, super romantic gestures for his girlfriend. That's what he always did, and that's part of the reason Ally loved him. She smiled and squealed with excitement. She couldn't wait to get ready!

The next day, Ally stood at her house. The closet was open and her room was a complete mess. Discarded clothing (dresses, underwear, shorts, shirts, bras, swimsuits, you name it) was sprinkled all over the ground. Her desk was carrying what seemed like hundreds of types of lipstick, eye shadow, blush, perfume, and nail polish, barely managing to hold all the weight. All the way at the other side of the room, her end table carried all her hair care products. Brushes, barrettes, scrunches, hair ties, clips, hair dryers, curlers, and a straightener.

In reality, Ally knew it was a bit much. But she just couldn't help herself! Today was going to be the best day ever! The least she could do was look the part.

At long last, now that Ally was done getting dressed, she went into the bathroom and looked at herself in the full body mirror. In any definition of the term, Ally was indeed beautiful.

The first thing that she noticed was her dress. It ended just above her knees, keeping herself modest while at the same time showing off her perfect skin. Everything about the dress below her waist was simply black. It caressed her hips and swayed around her legs. Above her waist however, covering her chest, was a shimmering gold. Covered in sequins it glowed around her breast and tightly wove around her tiny waist.

The next thing she noticed was her hair. A spall piece of it was tied up at the back of her hair to create a tiny bun, while the rest was left to swing down her uncovered soldiers.

She soon looked down at her shoes. On her feet were golden heels that made her about a foot taller. She figured this would be helpful considering the height difference between her and Austin.

Finally, she looked at her face. On it was a light layer of natural makeup. Her lips wore a light pink lipstick that was sweet and cute, without over doing anything. She was wearing just a creep of blush. On her eyes she had applied a bit of golden eyeliner. For most girls, this wouldn't work, but for some reason it did for her. It worked, and she looked beyond pretty. She looked beautiful.

Squealing with excitement, Ally looked at the clock above her desk. She smiled. She was right on time. Trying her best not to wrinkle her dress, Ally sat down on her bed. And she waited. She had not so subtly mentioned to Austin, numerous times, that she would be in her room if he needed her. He acted as if he didn't care, but Ally knew better….

And so Ally waited. And waited. And waited and waited and waited. For hours. She waited all night. Waited in her beautiful new dress and makeup she had spent all day putting together. Waited for him to come to her. But he didn't. He never came. And so she was alone. All night long. She never lost hope. She kept waiting. She believed in him. She believed he wouldn't let her down. That he would come. So she waited. Waited for him to show her that he still loved her.

The next day, a brisk Saturday morning, Ally woke up. She had fallen asleep in her dress and makeup. She brought her hand to her face. It was sticky with sweat. She pulled her hand away and it too was sticky, covered in smudged makeup. It was at this moment that she started to cry. Tears poured down her face. She had been stood up. By none other than Austin Moon. Her best friend and boyfriend for two years. How could he do this? Didn't he understand how important this was to her?

Ally moved her head and spotted an empty vase sitting on a shelf. Her tears poured down even harder. Every anniversary, Austin had always given her a rose. Their one week, one month, six month, eight month, and twelve month anniversaries had all been marked by that one beautiful rose that Austin brought her every time. Ally loved those roses. Each one she would cut off a tip of the stem and put it in a little bag. They were reminders. Reminders of how much she loved Austin, and of the fact that he loved her too. As long as she kept getting those roses, she knew the love that she and Austin shared was true. Now she wasn't so sure.

An hour later, Ally had finally stopped crying and taken off her dress. She had taken a shower, allowing the warm water to wash away the pain from the other night. But despite how hard she tried, the memory remained. And with the memory, came brand new pain. Brand new pain that brought a realization. A realization she didn't want to make, but knew she had to. She couldn't ignore this anymore. She and Austin needed to have a serious talk. And it wasn't going to be pretty.

Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Every step closer to Sonic Boom was like a bomb going off in her chest. She was scared. Her plan was to go and confront Austin, but she didn't know how it would go.

Today, as she walked, it was different than yesterday. There was no click of her heels. No swing of her hair. No sway of her hips. No music between her lips. No joy. No excitement. Just fear.

And then she saw it. Sonic Boom. With Austin's signature bike parked in the exact same place it was last time. She gulped. A part of her wished he wouldn't be there. But he was. It was time. She had to do what she had to do. Even if she didn't want to.

Before she knew it, before she wanted to be, she was there. She took a deep breath, and entered.

Just like she had predicted, he was there. At the piano. Attacking the keys with frustrated melodies.

She approached him. "…. Austin," she started hesitantly. Her voice was quieter and weaker than she wanted. "Where were you yesterday?"

Without turning around, or bothering to even glance at her, he responded. "Here," he said coldly, "Why does it matter. I was working on my song."

Slowly, Ally responded. "Last night was… our anniversary." She bit her lip and waited for his response. She expected an apology of some sort. Maybe even begging for forgiveness. But what she expected was not what she received.

Austin sighed. "Oh dear god Ally," he said in an annoyed, angry voice, "Do you really expect me to remember every single one of those? I mean, come on, they were fun in the beginning but they're starting to get old. I'm getting real tired of all that rose shit. Do I really need to give you a flower every fucking time? Just get over it Ally."

Ally was stunned into silence. They were DATING for god sakes, did he really think he could talk to her like this? What happened to the old Austin? The kid who did all those nice things for her and loved her unconditionally? Where was he? Because this kid was definitely not him, and Ally was not putting up with it.

Her cheeks were flared with anger as she responded. Anger was evident in her voice. "How can you say that?" Ally yelled to him, "An anniversary is a special occasion. It doesn't come around that often! The least you could do is offer to spend some time with me for a change! How could you be so insensitive!?"

Austin groaned. Still without turning around he responded. "Don't be such a bitch, Ally!" he yelled to her, "I can't spend every second of the day with you! I have a life you know!"

Ally snapped right back. "I'm not asking for every second of the day, I'm asking for ONE second of the day! Is it too much to ask you to spend a little time with your girlfriend every once in a while! Just so you know, it was senior prom yesterday. I thought you were going to take me, you know because we're DATING and stuff, but you never showed up! And, would it hurt for you to LOOK at me while I'm talking?"

Austin snapped his head around and glared at her. "Is it too much to ask that you give me some time to do my JOB!" he screamed, "I have important things to do, Ally. I need time to write new songs!"

Ally face grew to an even deeper red. "How is it that you managed to make it work before, but not anymore? You always used to have time for me AND working on music, but now suddenly you have to choose between the two!" Ally spit at him, "And guess what Austin, you're not the only one! I have a career in music too that I have to work on! And I'm having no trouble at all balancing between life and work! Why is it that you can't do the same!"

"Not all of us can be Little Miss Perfect!" Austin screamed back at her, "And not all of us are such a bitch about it!"

This infuriated her. She clenched her fists and grit her teeth and her eyes nearly went up in flames. But then, all of the sudden, it stopped. The anger blew away. All that was left was sadness. Sadness and a realization that she couldn't go on like this. She had to end it.

Softly, Ally replied. "Austin," she said tentatively, "You've changed. You're not the same guy I fell in love with, and I'm not sure I like this new you. I think…. I think it would be for the best if we broke up."

Austin's eyes flared with anger. "BROKE UP?" he screamed, "Fine! Lets brake up! See if I care, bitch!"

Ally sighed sadly and nodded. She turned around and started heading for the exit, but then stopped herself. "Um, Austin," she said shyly, gesturing towards the door, "This is my place."

"Whatever," Austin replied coldly. He grabbed his music sheet and stormed out of the building, never looking back his entire way home.

That night, Ally couldn't sleep. Her thoughts were stuck on Austin. She wondered what happened to him. What happened that caused him to turn into such a…. such a…. jerk. Because that's what he was now. A jerk. She missed the old him. She loved the old him. But the old him was gone, and she didn't know how. Was it fame? Or fortune? Or stress? Or simply time that took it all out of him? That replaced his kindness with cruelty and his compassion to heartlessness. Whatever it was, Ally had not seen it coming. And she wanted nothing to do with it.

The next few days passed like the wind. People were shocked to find out that the infamous Austin and Ally had broken up. Especially their best friends Trish and Dez. When asked, Austin yelled and told them it was none of their business. Ally had to be the one to explain. Both agreed with her. Something was definitely not right with their friend Austin….

Ally was sad at first, but eventually her sadness dissipated. About two months after the breakup, a new kid named Thomas saw her and had the guts to ask her out. After careful consideration, and a push from Trish and Dez, Ally had agreed. Thomas turned out to be a great guy, and Ally was finally happy. Austin however was just fuming with anger. Anger that stayed with him no matter what he did. He couldn't let his anger go, he couldn't forgive her, he couldn't write that goddamn song….

Despite the fact that she and Austin were no longer dating, or even friends for that matter, Ally allowed Austin to use Sonic Boom for his music. It was more out of pity than anything. This was where he had been doing his music for three years now, and she couldn't bare to be the one to take that away from him.

Austin and Ally no longer talked anymore. They were distant and refused to look at each other for weeks at a time. Austin did, however, still hang out with Trish and Dez, even though both agreed with Ally. They would have lunch together and just talk and hang out, almost like old times. Sometimes Dez and Trish would make the mistake of mentioning Ally's name. Austin didn't know why, but for some reason this always made him angry. Every time he heard her name it was like he was being stabbed with a needle. He didn't like it. He didn't like it at all.

One day, many months after the breakup, the two met again. Austin was in the practice room when all the sudden the door was slammed open and Ally came in. He turned around and suddenly the two were face to face for the first time in months. Austin stood speechless when he saw her dressed in a beautiful black and gold gown, which she was wearing for the first time in public. She smiled at him sheepishly. He had forgotten just how beautiful that smile was. "Hi…. Austin," she said awkwardly, "I forgot you were in here. I just…. came for my tickets. For the dance. I'm going to one with Thomas. I um… kinda left them in here." Quickly, Ally darted into the room, grabbed the tickets from on the table, and ran back to the door. They both looked at each other for a split second before Ally spoke up. "Um…. Bye." she whispered hurriedly before slamming the door, closing out Austin forever.

He couldn't believe it. He simply couldn't believe it. She was DATING again. How could he not know this? Why wouldn't she tell him? But then he remembered. They hadn't been talking. For months! Ever since the breakup. Why would she tell him? And why would he care anyway!

Austin shook his head. Of course he didn't care! He didn't care at all. It was stupid to even think he did, because he DIDN'T. Not even a little bit. He turned back to the piano and went right back to trying to write this stupid, goddamn song.

As he began to work a strange feeling rested upon him. The bench no longer felt snug and confortable like it did two seconds ago. Suddenly, it was too big. Too empty. Far too large for just one person. The spot beside him suddenly became cold. Empty and cold. Cold and empty. He felt as if somebody was missing from that spot. That somebody, ANYBODY needed to come and fill it because he couldn't take the emptiness anymore. No. Not just anybody needed to fill it. The spot was the size for only one single person. Only one. Ally.

NO! NOT ALLY! He didn't need Ally here. In fact, he was GLAD she wasn't here. He didn't need that stupid bitch. He was fine without her. FINE!

He continued playing. But as if the emptiness in the bench wasn't enough, something else caught his attention. His hands felt incomplete. He didn't understand how this could be possible. They were HANDS for god sake. How the hell were they incomplete? But that's how they felt. Incomplete. As if they needed some pair of small, dainty, delicate fingers to intertwine with them in order to be happy…..

NO! STOP THINKING LIKE THAT AUSTIN!

He needed something to clear his mind. His hands immediately went to the radio. And, with all his luck, the song that came on was "I think about you."

"Dear god," Austin complained, "Why does everything always happen to me." He went to go change the station, but half way there he stopped. The song, as beautiful and mystifying as he had always thought it was, had suddenly changed. It wasn't the same song anymore. The sweet soft tune now depressed him beyond comprehension. He didn't understand….

"Oh give it up, Austin," he murmured to himself in defeat, "You miss her. Just admit it. You do. You can't hide it anymore."

And it was true. He did miss her. And he couldn't hide it. Now that he knew he still loved her, that he never stopped loving her, there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He thought back to how he had screwed up. To the things he had said to her. What was wrong with him? Why did he act like that to her? He didn't understand his own actions.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he couldn't write his song?

He thought back to all the other songs he had written. The first song he wrote by himself, without the help of his former songwriter, was "Steal your Heart," a song directed towards Ally. The second was "My Girl." Also for Ally. Then there were "Can't Forget You," "This is how I feel," and "Other Half." All were for Ally too….

OH MY GOD! That was it! That was why! He had somehow forgotten! Forgotten that Ally was his inspiration.

All his songs, every single one, was inspired by her. Whether romantic or not. Somehow, but some means, he had forgotten this. That was why he could not write this song, because he wasn't using Ally as his inspiration. That was why he had to hire songwriter after songwriter to write him new songs when he couldn't write. And that was why he had let Ally go. He had forgotten just how much she meant to him. That was why. That was why.

He knew what he had to do. He grabbed his song-writing sheet from the piano. Quick as a field mouse, he crumpled it up and threw into the trash in one fowl swoop. He didn't need that anyway, he was going to write a new song. And he was going to write it the right way. The way where Ally was his inspiration.

And so he wrote. He wrote all night. Hour after hour. He didn't stop. He couldn't stop. His mind went on and on as his heart poured all his lost feelings about Ally onto the thin slip of paper. He wrote and wrote and wrote until he couldn't write anymore. Until he was done.

That day, even though he was dead tired, he didn't sleep. He couldn't because he had something else to do. He had to sing. Sing to her. Let her know how he felt.

He wasn't expecting her to take him back. He knew she was happy with that Thomas guy, and she knew she deserved him. Deserved a guy that would treat her right and love her forever without EVER stopping for even a second. But still, a guy can dream, right? And he did. He dreamt of her.

After an hour, he had set up. He was sitting on the top of the stairs at Sonic Boom. When Ally came back from her date at the park with Thomas (Dez had instructed him of this), he would start his song. Just the same way he sang "I think about You" to her. And hopefully she would have the same reaction. Hopefully.

Sooner than he had expected, she came in. She was dressed in a pretty yellow sundress and Austin couldn't help but stare. How the hell can a girl be that beautiful?

Austin gave the signal, two tongue clicks in a row, and Dez dimmed the lights. It was time. Slowly, Austin opened his mouth and hoped for the best. He began to sing

_Same bench, but it feels just a little bit bigger now _

_Our song on the radio, but it don't sound the same _

_When our friends talk about you all it does is just tear me down_

_Cuz my heart breaks a little when I hear your name_

_It all just sounds like ohhhh, ohhhhh, ohhhhhh_

_Mmmmm Too young, too dumb to realize_

_That I should have bought you flowers_

_And held your hand_

_Should have gave you all my hours_

_When I had the chance_

_Take you to every party_

_Cuz all you wanted to do was dance_

_Now my baby is dancing,_

_But she's dancing with another man_

_My pride, my ego, my needs, and my selfish ways _

_Caused a good, strong woman like you to walk out my life _

_Now I never, never get to clean up the mess I made_

_And it haunts me every time I close my eyes_

_It all just sounds like ohhhhh, ohhhhh, ohhhhhh _

_Too young, too dumb to realize_

_That I should have bought you flowers and held your hand_

_Should have gave you all my hours when I had the chance_

_Take you to every party cause all you wanted to do was learn to dance_

_Now my baby is dancing, but she's dancing with another man_

_Although it hurts_

_I'll be the first to say _

_That I was wrong_

_Oh, I know I'm probably much too late_

_To try and apologize for my mistakes_

_But I just want you to know_

_I hope he buys you flowers, I hope he holds your hand_

_Gives you all his hours when he has the chance_

_Takes you to every party cause I remember how much you loved to dance_

_Do all the things I should have done when I was your man_

_Do all the things I should have done when I was your man_

The song was now over. Austin had looked at Ally during the entire performance. Had watched as the tears had slipped down her perfect cheeks. Carved little invisible lines through her skin. She was so beautiful. He missed her so much.

Now Austin was waiting. Waiting for her to hug him, symbolizing that she forgave him for everything. That she still loved him too. She didn't hug him though. She just continued crying. She cried and cried and cried. Austin was forced to approach her.

The first words that came out of his mouth was the long overdue "I'm sorry." This only made her tears spill harder. "I was such a jerk these past months," Austin continued, "I don't know what came over me. I promise it will never happen again. I was stupid and wrong and…. I'm sorry. I still love you Ally. If it's not too much to ask, will you please take me back?"

Slowly, Ally wiped back the tears from her eyes. And then she shook her head. Austin was stunned. "I'm sorry, Austin," she whispered to him, still with tears in her eyes, "You know I love you, I always will. It's just that…. I love Thomas now. Its true. I love him and he treats me right. I need him, Austin. And he needs me. I just can't leave him for a guy who broke my heart. He deserves more than that. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry…." The tears began streaming again. Ally tried desperately to wipe them away, but the more she did the faster they poured.

"No," replied Austin sadly, "Don't be sorry. I'm the one who should be sorry. I left you no choice. I was horrible to you and I don't deserve a second chance. You deserve to be with him. I hope he…. makes you as happy as you make me."

He took out his hand and wiped a tear from her cheek. Ally smiled. She leaned forward and kissed his face. Feeling the wetness on his soft cheek. "I'm sorry, Austin" she whispered, one last time, "I'll miss you."

He nodded. "I'll miss you forever. But I understand."

Silently, Ally turned to go. Half way there, she realized that this was HER store, not his, but she didn't stop. She figured she needed this. She needed to walk away. And he needed to see her doing it.

Austin watched her go, sadness and despair in his eyes as he realized that it was all over. He had lost her to another guy.

"I love you Ally," he whispered behind her, too quiet for anyone to hear, "I love you."

**I know this isn't the happy ending that you guys were all expecting, but Ive never written a sad story before and I just wanted to try it out a little. I thought the ending was appropriate. Anyway, please review and tell me what you think. And im sorry that auslly didn't happen in the end. Please don't hate me!**


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